Western Springs College Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes held at ...

Western Springs College Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes
held at 6pm 9 th August 2010 in the Admin Meeting Room
1. Present / Apologies:
Present: Ken Havill, Nici Green, Trevor Crosby, Alice Heather, Gordon Ikin, Sophie Blazey, Te Hira
Henderson, Kent Dadson, Tracey Watkinson, Kaukura Tepaki, David Peirse, Margot Young.
Apologies: Clare Goddard, Margot Young (for lateness)
Staff Present: Helen Thorpe, Allayne Ferguson (until 6.15pm)
Minutes: Christine Goodes
Facilitator: Gordon Ikin
2. Declaration of Interests: Nil
3. Strategic Discussion
Presentation by Allayne Fergusson, PPTA Representative
Gordon welcomed Allayne Ferguson to the meeting.
Allayne informed the meeting of the PPTA negotiations with the Ministry of Education over the
secondary teachers’ collective agreement, and stated that there would be a paid union meeting
later in the month.
The PPTA has four broad sets of issues they wanted the government to consider which have
strong membership backing. They are: Making sure schools can hire well qualified teachers by
ensuring that wages stay competitive; having fair and nationally consistent employment
conditions; provision of good professional support for teachers, and; enhancing learning and
teaching conditions.
Gordon thanked Allayne for her presentation to the board.
4. Monitoring
Curriculum Area Presentation: Learning Centre – Helen Thorpe
Gordon welcomed Helen to the meeting.
Helen started by saying that the Learning Centre provided a service to all students. There were
no exclusions. Some 383 students used the centre in 2009.
Their work encompasses a growing range of things from the generalised to the specific.
They did not see themselves as providing a quick fix to a student’s learning problems.
An overview of the Learning Centre Programmes includes individual and group interventions,
numeracy, literacy, peer mentoring, asTTle, students with specific learning differences, gifted

and talented, after school homework and supported study sessions, casual users, students on
reduced programmes, correspondence and Year 8 transition.
In an ideal world Helen would like a working space that was connected with the library and
special needs.
In order for the Learning Centre to grow, they would benefit from an expansion of their facilities
and more staff. At times there is enormous pressure on the space and a high demand for access
to their small pod of computers (5 additional computers suggested).
Gordon thanked Helen for attending the meeting.
6.40: Tracey Watkinson arrived at the meeting.
5. Strategic Discussion
ERO Review: Report of Board Chairperson and Principal of Meeting with Review Team Leader (5/8)
Ken talked to the tabled ERO Review Paper.
ERO appeared to be putting great importance on self-review.
The key question will be - How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote student learning:
engagement, progress and achievement
The key foci were the self-review processes and information, student achievement information,
literacy and numeracy, success for Maori and Pacific students and the quality of education for
international students.
Ken presented the board with the timeline for the visit. The Review commences on 6 th
September. There will be a meeting on this day at 12.30 for one hour for those of the Board who
can make it. On the 13 th of September ERO will give an oral report to the Board. This will be held
in the WSC meeting room, 5 –6pm.
ERO wanted to talk to a group of Year 9 and 10 students and a group of Year 11 to 13 students.
ERO would also like to attend a staff meeting to talk to teachers and meet a forum of HODs.
The SMT will meet with ERO one hour before the meeting on 13 th of September with the Board of
Trustees.
Tracey asked when will ERO meet with the whanau. Task 1: Ken to check this out and report
back to Tracey.
That the Board receives the report of the board chairperson and the principal.
Ken Havill / Trevor Crosby
carried
Board Elections: Role Specifications
Trevor went through his tabled draft Board Elections: Role Specifications paper.
Tracey asked about co-opted trustees (Maori and Pacific Island). When do they start the process
for this Trevor to add to draft under number 4, so they fit into the timeline. Task 2: Trevor

That the Board endorses the roles of the board chairperson, board secretary and returning office as
proposed.
Trevor Crosby / Ken Havill
carried
6. Strategic Decisions
Student Board Rep Election
With the student representative election being on 17 th September, Sophie Blazey will only
attend one more meeting.
She suggested having a meeting with interested parties and addressing an assembly.
That Christine Goodes be appointed as the returning officer for the student trustee election.
Ken Havill / Sophie Blazey
carried
7.20: Break – Margot Young arrived at the meeting
Community Education
Ken referred to his principal’s report, second bullet point under property.
He has taken advice from our liability insurer who advised that it was essential that a business
like Leisuretime Learning Ltd take liability insurance.
Discussion ensued around this topic.
Gordon Ikin asked why we have our insurance with two different companies.
Ken to check out future possible amalgamation of our two insurance policies under one
company. Task 3: Ken
It was moved that if the hirer was a retail business it must have liability insurance. If the hirer was a
small community group it was not required.
Gordon Ikin / Trevor Crosby
carried
Discussion continued around Leisuretime Learning Ltd.
Ken supported the request for a continuation of support.
That the board continues to sponsor Leisuretime Learning until the end of 2011 with a review to be
completed by 31 st July, in order to ensure the ongoing delivery of a community education programme
based at WSC.
Gordon Ikin / Ken Havill
carried

8.10: Kaukura left the meeting.
7. Monitoring
Finance
Trevor talked to the tabled EdTech Budgeted Statement of Financial Position.
The budgeted working capital shows an increase in the deficit as it did in 2009, but the actual
outcome in 2009 was an improvement in working capital. Clare discussed the whole report with
EdTEch in the previous week, and was satisfied that the budgeted statement could be accepted
by the board.
Margot queried the current provision for depreciation being lower than it should be in the
budgeted statement. Trevor stated that the depreciation currently showing in monthly
statements was based on EdTech advice provided as part of the budgeting process.
Subsequently a Ministry Furniture & Equipment grant was received and assets purchased which
increased depreciation. [Additional note: more significantly, during the 2009 audit the leases on
photocopiers were reclassified by the auditors from operating leases to finance leases, which
meant that depreciation needed to be charged in the accounts, as in effect the auditors
considered the school was purchasing the photocopiers as capital assets although this is not the
case. The total cost of leases to the school of the photocopies remains fully covered in the
budget].
That the Board accepts the 2010 Budgeted Statement of Financial Position.
Discipline
Trevor Crosby / Ken Havill
carried
Ken gave an oral report.
Since the last meeting there has been one exclusion, three extended suspensions and one
reinstated student was meeting the requirements of his reinstatement.
That the principal’s oral discipline report be received.
Ken Havill / David Peirse
carried
8.36: Ken asked the meeting to go into committee to protect the privacy of individuals.
8.41: The business being concluded satisfactorily, Ken asked that the meeting go out of committee.
8. Identify Agenda Items for Next Meeting
ERO update

Proposed new classrooms
Confirm new Deputy Principal
9. Administration
Gordon asked for the minutes of the last meeting to be approved.
Gordon Ikin / Alice Heather
carried
Gordon asked about our backup system. This question came about because of the note in the
Finance minutes, about taking photographs of assets and then backing the files up. Ruth to be
asked to report on this. Task 4: Ruth
An update on newsletter links commenced. Gordon said parents wanted an electronic
newsletter. Ken went through the various steps that have been taken to collect caregiver
emails.
Gordon said parents want the facility created to provide both parents, living at different
addresses, to be sent reports and caregiver information.
Ken was given information about an on-line software package called School Links which
successfully managed the giving of information to parents.
Ken tabled Property minutes.
Alice asked who was on the Policy Committee – Ken, David and Alice. A meeting is to be
convened. Christine to convene. Task 5: Christine
Trevor asked for the correspondence to be accepted.
Trevor Crosby / Tracey Watkinson
carried
Trevor asked for all written reports to be accepted i.e. PPTA & Learning Centre reports, Principal’s
Report, June Financial Statement Finance (June & July), Property, PAG and TAPAC minutes to be
accepted.
Trevor Crosby / Nici Green.
Carried
Next meeting:
20 th September to be held in the Marae
Facilitator next meeting:
Tracey Watkinson
Board Rep to go to next PAG Meeting: Gordon Ikin
Meeting finished:
8.55pm